Château La Commanderie in Plaigne is one of the rare Cathar castles still inhabited. La Commanderie was built in the 12th century by Guillaume de Plaigne, a Cathar Lord, who took an active role in the massacre of Avignonet and afterwards joined the besieged stronghold as a member of the garrison, along with his brother, at the famous siege of Montségur.
In the 16th century, Barthelemy de Plaigne extended the château. It was sold the Knights of Malta (The Knights Hospitaller) in the 17th century. In the 19th century, the chateau belonged to Mr de Nicol, who modernised the building, and it remained in this family for a century, the last descent being Vilolette de Ferluc.
Today, the imposing castle retains its original spirit of an ancient medieval castle, but modernised to create a family home. It has been beautifully decorated by the current artist-owner and her family, creating a grand but comfortable setting for a holiday, family or company event.
References:The Church of St Donatus name refers to Donatus of Zadar, who began construction on this church in the 9th century and ended it on the northeastern part of the Roman forum. It is the largest Pre-Romanesque building in Croatia.
The beginning of the building of the church was placed to the second half of the 8th century, and it is supposed to have been completed in the 9th century. The Zadar bishop and diplomat Donat (8th and 9th centuries) is credited with the building of the church. He led the representations of the Dalmatian cities to Constantinople and Charles the Great, which is why this church bears slight resemblance to Charlemagne's court chapels, especially the one in Aachen, and also to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. It belongs to the Pre-Romanesque architectural period.
The circular church, formerly domed, is 27 m high and is characterised by simplicity and technical primitivism.